Caravan's Return
Caravan's Return is the second chapter of Tales of Sheol'gotha: Shadow of the Abaddon. It is the first chapter with the series' main protagonist, Valon Eurynome. Synopsis Valon Eurynome and his siblings emerge from one of the Nazrin harems after feeding to sate their sexual hungers. He is met by his sister, Settir, who is busy reading books on the history of the abaddons. Valon expresses distain for the education, believing it worthless. Settir suggests that the harem is due new participants in the form of virgins, drawing Valon's disgust as he suggests the blood and crying are traits better suited to two of the other royal families - Iwotha's brood of vampires, and the De-jin brood of shifters. Settir further proposes an 'alternative' entirely, which Valon recognizes immediately and scolds her for fiercely. She is more carefree, pointing out that even if one of them died, the other would survive. Valon helps Settir identify an old symbol of Do'zen, but at the same time warns her that such education is pointless and that she should focus more on martial study. When he asks where their mother, Sharess, is, he is discontent with Settir's answer and hurls her book away. Settir leaves in anger but Valon refuses to follow and sits in the common area for a while. As he sits considering her words and the deadly sexual interactions between incubi and succubi, his brothers Fea-turin and Abjuris arrive talking of the Bonicin Caravan's return. Valon leaves immediately to go meet his friend, Palus Bonicin, finding him in the throne room where Palus describes that the Abaddon was 'physically present, but absent'. As they walk, Palus explains that the journey was boring, with only a few skirmishes. Valon explains the battlefield in the west which Palus had passed, explaining that Che'ran, Iwotha's son, had been found out to have intent of usurping the throne. General Fall-un'tir had forced his supporters to attack prematurely and their forces had been destroyed utterly. The news had not been revealed to Settir, who is said to be too young to know the truth. They patrol the balcony around the side of the building, observing an execution in a courtyard below. They suspect it a Che'ran sympathizer whose head is crushed beneath a massive maul. They continued talking with Palus trying to impose upon Valon the idea that the lands beyond the city walls are boring, which only serves to make Valon want out all the more. Trivia Interactions between incubi and succubi incurs a sexual energy feeding loop of diminishing returns called Grigori Spiralling which results in both parties putting in more energy than they receive from the other, losing energy and resulting in both parties ending up near-death, if not outright dead. Iwotha's children are mentioned in association with blood, suggesting they are blood vampires. This would mean that Che-ran would be a blood vampire too. Valon shows knowledge of older runes and markings uncommon among his siblings. The mark of Do'zen - "The circle is the shroud, or it can be the sky. The lines indicate something moving into the circle, and those particular runes are vampiric." indicates his familiarity with the vampiric language. Do'zen, the god of magic, and bearer of the Heart of Magic, is often depicted as being concealed within a shroud. The lines can be inferred as being prayers or magic.